title: Impact of AlCl3 on the self-assembly of the anionic surfactant sodium polyethylene glycol monoalkyl ether sulfate in aqueous solution.
abstract: Small-angle neutron scattering has been used to study the self-assembly of the anionic surfactant sodium polyethylene glycol monoalkyl ether sulfate in aqueous solution and in the presence of Al(3+) multivalent counterions in the form of AlCl3. The addition of the Al(3+) ions promotes significant micellar growth of the initially globular micelles into highly elongated structures until ultimately lamellar structures form. Increasing the size of the polyethylene oxide, EO, group progressively suppresses micellar growth before lamellar formation. Reducing the alkyl chain length has a similar effect on the structural evolution. Both trends are associated with increased solubility with increasing EO group size and decreasing alkyl chain length. Both the size of the EO group and the length of the alkyl chain affect sodium diethylene glycol monododecyl ether sulfate/Al(3+) complex formation and drive lamellar formation to progressively higher AlCl3 concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, Oxon, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Penfold
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Jordan T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Petkov
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grillo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terry